CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - (Iowa's News Now) — Every November there's that push to remember the little guy.
One day of awareness isn't cutting it for Cedar Rapids entrepreneur Steve Shriver.
"So rather than shop small on Small Business Saturday, we're thinking just shop big locally," Shriver says.
He's launching "Loyal to Local" on November 16th, a campaign for small business owners by small business owners.
"When we wake up after this winter I'm just fearful it's going to be a sad state of affairs in Cedar Rapids," he says. "The idea is to take action now."
Shriver partnered with Deetz, a Cedar Rapids startup, to bring local deals to your fingertips. The Deetz app updates daily with new deals in the area.
"You can find out events, food specials," Shriver says as he scrolls through.
Loyal to Local aims to get people to think smaller year-round after one of the toughest years yet.
"We are struggling," Shriver says. "We need all the help we can get."
Coronavirus and the August derecho have been a one-two punch for people across eastern Iowa, including small businesses. Fong's Pizza - Cedar Rapids district manager Tony Konecne says you can see the impact of the virus especially in the Newbo area.
"When I came down here for the first time last summer, the area was so vibrant and so many people out. Compared to this summer it was really sad to see so little traffic," he says.
Fong's had to shake things up when pandemic shutdowns hit Iowa, offering direct delivery and curbside service. Konecne says it could have been worse, though it hasn't been good.
"It was pretty devastating," he says of the shutdown.
Loyal to Local will boost awareness of these local businesses and how they're safely serving customers.
There will soon be signage at participating businesses, around 50 so far, along with hashtags like #LocalisLit. Shriver says they've also infused $10,000 for merchandise and promotions.
"We're hoping that all combines into a lot of community push and support," he says.
Konecne is grateful for the effort, saying Fong's also feels a duty to help Cedar Rapidians and other businesses. As he prepares one of the pizza joint's signature tiki drinks, The Waving Kitty, he hopes more Cedar Rapids businesses will be around to wave hello to a better new year.
"We just want people to know we're here, we want people to know we're open."
Source: https://www.tmef.com.my/sme-news-all.php?cid=2